By James Call
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-884790.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Governor Charlie Crist is endorsing leading lawmakers' efforts to quickly pass a bill delaying an unemployment tax increase. The Legislature could send the bill to Crist the first week of the session.
A business-backed measure has already cleared a House council. Senate President Jeff Atwater says he hopes lawmakers approve a delay on the Legislature's opening day.
Crist says he's encouraged by what he hears coming out of the House and Senate.
"You know it was going to be like, originally 8-dollars per employee, and it accelerated to about a hundred dollars per employee. It would have been a tremendous strain on small businesses all across the state. So I'm very pleased that the Legislature saw fit to act, and hopefully we can get that passed maybe the first week of the regular session so that those businesses don't incur that additional expense."
Florida's unemployment trust fund is broke, and the state is borrowing money to pay benefits. The borrowing triggered a tax increase for 2010, and the first quarter payment is due in April. Lawmakers are proposing delaying that increase for two years.